Improvement in balanced slide-valves



W. UBENGHAIN.

Balanced Slide-Valves. A l .Patentedlam 2051874.

UNITED STATES PATENTIQ-LIIEIQE.

wAsIIINeToN oBENoHAIN, or LoGANsrouT, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BALANCE/D SLIDE-VALVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,7(L/l, lated January 20, 1874; application filed April 23, 181'3L To all whom 'it may concern:-

Be it known that I, WASHINGTON OBEN- oHAIN, of Logansport, in the county of Cass and State of Indiana, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Balanced Slide- Valves; andl do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawings is a longitudinal l vertical section of my slide-valve and balance.

\ tion, with steam-ports B B and an enlarged exhaust-port, C. On the valve-face c slides the valve D, having the laps d1 (l2, and the lips c" c2 in the exhaust-chamber d3. The width of the exhaust-port cl, between the lips c1 c2, is contracted with reference to, or less than that of, the exhaust-opening C of the valve-chest, for the purpose of holding the steam in the cylinder after the steam-opening has closed to gain the full benefit due to the expansion, and to exhaust at the proper time.

With the ordinary valve the steam4 cannot be cut off at any point of the stroke and at the same time the full benefit of the expansion secured; because, if the cut-oit' is varied to any extent, in certain positions of the valve the full eiect of the expansion will be lost, owing to the want of length of the lips of the valve as compared with the span of the exhanst-opening.

With my valve the steam can be held longer without interfering with the proper exhaust.

The steam balancing devices are constructed in the following manner: To the top of the valve is bolted the base of a cylinder, E, having a closed top. Surrounding the cylinderE f1, around its inner upper edge.

is thc balance-rin g F, which is provided with an external flange, f, and a recess or groove, This recess is designed to insure the pressure of the ring F against the wall of the valvechest. The cylinder E is also recessed to receive the packing-ring H, which lies in contact with the inner wall of the balance-ring, and keeps the jointsteam-tight. Thebalance-recess f1 should be sufficiently large to cause the steam to press the balance-ring against the face of the steamchest cover G, thus making a steam-tight joint without the use of springs or set-screws. In this m anner the operation of the balance-rin gis made automatic, and the valve is relieved from pressure. Two small springs, i', are seated on the base c of the cylinder E, under the lower edge of the balance-ring, within the bolts e' e. These serve to hold the. balance-ring up to its place when steam is shut oir', thereby preventing this ring from slamming violently against the steam-chest cover Gr when steam is suddenly put on. These springs are not designed to have sufficient power to cause friction between the balance-ring and steam-chest cover.

The pipe h, through the steam-chest cover, communicates with the balance-chamber fl, between the top of the cylinder E and the steamchest cover, and with the balance-recess f1 of the balance-ring.

It is better to have a small perforation, z, leading from the inside of the cylinder E, through its wall, to the packing-ring, as its action is thus accelerated by the steam-pressure.

What I claim as myinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, .is-

The combination, with a steam-valve and valve-chest, of the balance-cylinder E, closed at top, the balance-ring F, the ilange f, forming a part of said balance-ring, and the air recess 

